Rugby: Escape To Victory

Great site and excellent drills. Easy to understand and apply in training....
Tyrone, Rugby Coach

DESCRIPTION

  • Within each group of 10, there should be 4 attackers and 6 defenders.
  • The defenders should be in the outer grid and the attackers will be in the inner grid.
  • The defenders cannot enter the inner grid.
  • The players can pass the ball in any direction inside the inner grid, and can move around as much as they like.
  • When they attack outside the inner grid, they can only use non forward passes.
  • The aim of the game is for the attackers to touch the ball down outside the outer grid, without getting touched.
  • If the attacker gets touch, they swap places with the defender that touched them - they become a defended and the defender now becomes an attacker.
  • Decide on two handed or one handed touch, it's your call.
  • You might also decide to give your four attackers a period of time and unlimited touches before switching defensive and attacking players.
  • Don't forget to give everyone a chance in attack and defence.

COACHING POINTS

You don't need to focus on all of the following coaching points. Choose the points that apply to your training and session goals, also you may have your own coaching points.

  • Keep the tempo of this exercise high.
  • Attackers use a number of passing styles to move the ball within the inner grid, including passes with just one hand.
  • Passes are weighted correctly in terms of speed, distance, and accuracy.
  • Communication between attackers and defenders is efficient, effective, and encouraging. It not only focuses on what is happening now, but what might happen next.
  • Defenders seek to eliminate mismatches.
  • Attackers aim to create mismatches, 2 v 1 situations.
  • During 2 v 1 situations the ball carrier works to draw the defender away from the space that the support runner will attack, while keeping in mind that the defender may decide to drift early or might be sent off course by a dummy pass.
  • Attackers use changes in foot speed, running lines, side steps, and spins to beat defenders.
  • defenders track attackers, closing down space and attacking options quickly.
  • Attackers support the ball carrier.

PROGRESSION

Give all the players a set of tags, to speed up change overs. The defenders now need to remove a tag from an attacker.

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OFTEN USED WITH...
Flip It | Warm Up

Flip It

  • Be brief when telling the players the laws of this game, it's important to get them moving quickly.
  • This is not a contact game.
  • Break your players into two teams, giving each team their own colour of bibs if necessary.
  • One team goes to attack, and one to defence.
  • Nominate a Scrum Half for each team.
  • There is no kicking in this game.
  • Normal laws of rugby apply e.g. a forward pass will result in the ball being turned over to the opposition.
  • If an attacking player is touched: they must go to ground, present the ball, two of their teammates ruck over (staying over the ball), and the Scrum Half moves the ball for the next phase of attack.
  • When you start playing this game make sure that the defence is employing your defensive pattern around the ruck. As the game develops consider telling the defenders that they must have one or more players at the back of the ruck, if they are not fast enough to do this - push them back 10 meters.
  • It’s important that defenders are employing their defensive pattern behind the primary defensive line.
  • Have attacking players do what they normally would at the ruck.
  • Depending on your goals decide on the number of touches you wish to allow e.g. unlimited is not a bad option as mistakes will be made!
  • When you feel the time is appropriate, usually during a ruck, blow you whistle and should FLIP IT – kicking in or throwing in a second ball to the back 3/2 defenders on the team currently in defence OR just kick it behind the defenders. The defensive team goes, without hesitation, into attack. The team that was attacking goes into defence and you or an assistant coach remove the other ball from play when you can. Ideally you might have two balls with different markings.
  • Don't hesitate to shape the game to focus on your session goals, and let us and other coaches know what worked for you!

Warm Up

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MORE Warm Up DRILLS

3 Touch Kick

Split your players into two teams, giving one group of players a set of coloured bibs to set them apart, and quickly tell your players the following laws: We will be playing a rugby league style touch. When touched: set the ball down, stand over the ball, allow the scum-half to move the ball away from the point of contact. The defenders should stay on side following a touch, and should not compete for the ball. Any infringements in defence should result in the defending team conceding 10 Meters or possibly giving 1 or more extra touches to the attacking team. I'll leave this to your judgement depending on your team's age, skill level, and your session target/s. The attacking team can sustain three touches before they have to kick. Their kick should be as it would be in the game: a kick to touch, a kick for territory, or a kick that can be regained e.g. a grubber kick. The defenders should behave as they would in a real game. Quick put in's from the touchlines replace lineouts. Defenders who take the ball from an attacking kick should counter attack. A forth touch results in a turn over. The Scrum Half has a maxium of 5 seconds to move the ball from the point of touch. A ball kicked directly to touch from outside the attacking teams 22, or where the ball has been taken into the 22 by the attacking team and then kicked into touch - will result in a turn over with play starting on the five meter line closest to where the kick was made. The defence should be 10 meters back. A ball kicked from inside the attacking teams 22 can go directly to touch, as long as the attacking team did not carry the ball into their own 22 before the kick. The resulting put in will be to the opposition from where the ball has went into touch. Quick put-in's are enoucraged, if not possible the ball is played from the 5 meter line with the defence 10 meters back. Give points for quick put ins that work. Feel free to play with any of noted laws, let us know the law variations that work for you!

Warm Up

Bang & Bingo

Set up: the cones as shown with a cone 10 meters each side of the posts on the try line. This will mark where the ball will be passed from (feeder) preferably from a scrum half. Divide the group into 3 and ask them to stand in single file behind each cone. The ball is fed from a position alternately from either side of the post. This will encourage the players to scan, communicate and to be expectant of the ball. The players on the cones opposite the posts will either be the 1st receiver or the BANG option runner. The BANG runner is always running an out to in, or up to in line to fix the 2nd defender. The players on the middle cone will receive the ball in the BINGO (pull back) option outside the ‘outside’ post or just in behind the BANG player. The BINGO players should run and an arced run to receive the ball outside the outer post. The BINGO player should try to straighten up prior to receiving or on receiving the ball. Progression: Get 2 players or coaches to stand in front of the posts with 2 different coloured cones in their hands on their hips. The cones will represent the ‘hips’ of the 2nd defender. The aim is to encourage the 1st receiver to scan, look, and make a quick decision (choice of pass) depending on what the defender is doing. If the 1st receivers sees the ‘inside’ cone on the 2nd defender then they must assume the defenders hips are turned OUT and make a short pass to the BANG runner. If the 1st receivers sees the ‘outside’ cone on the 2nd defender then they must assume the defenders hips are turned IN and make a PULL BACK pass to the BINGO runner.

Warm Up

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